To those who wait
by Lancetheflamesniper
Summary: Sometimes things don't go as we think they will. Sometimes it's better that way. For Kouga seeing Ayame and Kagome leave his life proves that. But as they say, good things come...
1. Chapter 1

I don't Inuyasha, Rumiko Takahashi does. That being said, I am not making one thin dime off this work; it is merely for amusement.

Author's note:

This story is a lot like Of Wolves and the moon in that it was originally based on an old discussion between me and one of my ex-girlfriends. I'm not sure how this story once again has appeared in my mind, but I feel it does deserve to be shared. I will warn you however that this story isn't high on my priority list of stories so it may not be updated regularly.

To those who wait

Chapter one

By

Lance the Flamesniper

Things had begun to be different between Inu Yasha, Kagome and Kouga not long after Naraku had died. But, the change wasn't obvious until Kagome had made her wish, the offhand comment that everyone tried to stop before she even finished it. It was simply: I wish we could all be together forever. An offhand comment, not unlike one that any girl in High School would make… except this one locked the Bone Eater's well and extended Kagome, Miroku and Sango's lives and youth almost indefinitely. Surprisingly, it wasn't Kagome or Inu Yasha that noticed the change, but Miroku.

"Has anyone noticed that Kouga's been acting differently lately?" The monk broached on a particularly slow even leading up to Inu Yasha and Kagome's wedding.

"Feh! The wimpy wolf's just brooding 'cause Kagome picked me over his flea bitten ass!"

"Inu Yasha…," Kagome warned causing the hanyou to cringe slightly. He knew that tone well.

"His pack did take heavy losses during the final battle with Naraku. That could be part of the problem," Sango supplied. "I've also heard that Ayame is courting a human."

"So Kouga doesn't have a companion? No wonder he's acting so down," Shippou supplied.

"Maybe I should go talk to him," Kagome offered.

"Like hell you will! He'll probably just kidnap you then try to convince you to become his mate instead of mine!"

"Inu Yasha…Osuwari!" Kagome shouted, the incantation driving her fiancée into the ground as she started walking. "I can't believe you can be so cruel to your friends! I'm going to go see him, so don't try to stop me!"

"Should we try to stop her?" Miroku asked.

"No, I think it's best we stay here… oh and Miroku?"

"Yes Sango-chan?" Miroku asked.

"I'm going to count to five, and if your hand isn't off my backside…"

The monk gulped. "Yes dear."

Kouga sat in the shade of one of the tallest tree in the forest of Inu Yasha. His blue eyes sported a dazed, seemingly unseeing affect that made him look as if he was seeing the clouds in the sky but not really seeing them. With his bronzed skin, handsome face, long dark hair and well toned body, the wolf-prince was definitely attractive in Kagome's opinion. It was also the opinion of numerous maidens of the village who on more than one occasion had voiced their thoughts on being the woman of Kouga, youkai or not.

Still Kouga paid them no mind. It was as if his mind was elsewhere most of the time. Now that Kagome thought about it, wasn't like the Kouga she knew at all. She approached as quietly as she could and from down-wind even though she knew with his youkai senses she'd not be able to get the drop on him.

Still Kouga's lips twitched into a ghost of a smile at her efforts. "You're getting better at that."

"Still not good enough to sneak up on you," Kagome said, inwardly pleased to see him smile, even if it was just a little bit." Kouga, you're my friend so I'm not going to beat around the bush. What's wrong?"

"I'm sure so close to your wedding you don't really want to hear my troubles Kagome," Kouga hedged.

"Nonsense! You've always been a good friend to me and though he'll never admit it, to Inu Yasha as well."

"Sure, all your friends kidnap you, threaten to kill Inu Yasha, try to for you to be their woman and of course slaughter an entire village just for harboring a jewel shard thief."

"Kouga, we all know that wasn't your doing," Kagome began then added mentally _Well not entirely._

"I know that. Still that's not what's really bothering me."

"Is it about the wedding or about Ayame?"

"Maybe it's both or maybe it's neither," Kouga allowed as the brown haired miko sat down next him. "What do you know about wolf youkai, Kagome?"

"Well… I know that you're strong fighters that tend to fight harder when their pack mates are hurt…"

"That is a small part of what being an ookami youkai is. It's the part that taijya and people who've crossed my kind know."

"So there's more to it?" Kagome asked then mentally kicked herself. _Well duh, girl! He just said as much, didn't he?_

"In many ways we are deeply spiritual creatures. We pray to the moon and the sun and the soul of the mountains, and…" Kouga said then paused before continuing,"Sometimes, they speak to us."

"They do? Kouga are you telling me that you're acting this way because…"

"Yes Kagome. I decided recently to seek out an answer as to when I would find a mate, because my heart aches for a love like you and Inu Yasha share. While meditating, something Miroku was kind enough to teach me, I was visited by the spirit of the moon, a beautiful woman clad in white with hair of silver."

Kagome nodded having never encountered such a being but deciding to go along with the wolf prince since he finally seemed a little more animated. "What did she tell you?"

Kouga's eyes seemed to dim ever-so-slightly. "She told me that in time I would find a woman who would complete me as you complete Inu Yasha."

"Well that's good news," Kagome said with a smile.

"Normally, I would agree with that except that she also told me she wasn't born yet and that, as a boon to me she would allow me to know exactly when the woman destined for me entered the world."

"What!. That would mean you'd have to wait at least eighteen years after finding her to marry her!" Kagome exclaimed.

"One of the advantages of being a youkai is that we age slower than humans. I'll look as I do now for a few hundred years at least. So I suppose I can afford a little patience," the prince said with a hint of bitterness to his tone.

"What will you do in the meantime Kouga?"

"Well, I figured I would attend two weddings this week," He began with a sigh. "Then maybe travel until the spirits tell me my woman is in the world."

Kagome watched as the wolf prince, a being she knew to be noble, true and brave get to his feet. Wind kicked up around his legs, showing that he's been practicing with using his powers without the help of the now destroyed jewel of four souls, and disappeared deeper into the forest.

_Kouga, I know in my heart that there will be happiness for you someday. Just be strong until you find it._

Kouga was true to his word. He was present at first the wedding of Miroku and Sango and had given them a promise of land within the Southern Lands where he was the Demon Lord, a fact that he had conveniently forgotten to mention to all of his friends. While he was outwardly happy for the couple, Kagome noticed the look of sadness and longing that the look hid.

Kouga seemed livelier at the wedding of Kagome to Inu Yasha actively dancing with many village maidens who were disheartened at the wedding that removed Miroku from their attentions. As with the wedding of Miroku and Sango the Southern Lord was generous with gifts: Kagome received a bow made of laminated layers of silvery wood along with a quiver of the finest arrows she'd ever seen; Inu Yasha was given a new sheath for Tetsusaiga to replace the one destroyed in the final battle with Naraku. Still in Kagome's eyes and later, apparently Sango's, there was again the hints of sadness and loneliness in the eye of the prince.

The years passed as years tend to do: as a blur of events. Shippou became lord of the East and took a mate- a kitsune female named Hina. Sango had a daughter fallowed by Kagome giving birth to a son who they named Mitsukake. Kaede passed of old age and Kagome became head priestess of the village as it quickly grew into a town. Infrequently Kagome and the others encountered Kouga, who seemed to have been in a state of constant travel. Still the years marched forward. Mitsukake was soon followed by Motoko and a few years after that Kagome gave birth to her second daughter Haruka. The feudal era passed as did the other eras, Inu Yasha became an architect, Kagome a doctor as well as a shrine priestess. Kouga surprisingly, opened a security business and when the idea came out became a successful stock trader, with a little help from Kagome. Kagome's Children all matured and went out into the world. For Kagome and Inu Yasha it was a time of great happiness…

Yet Kagome was dismayed to find out at her 515th birthday party that was held on the isle of Fiji at the same time that she was being born in Tokyo general hospital, that Kouga was still alone. This was especially disheartening while she was listening to Mitsukake talk of how he and his wife (Sango's first born) were finally thinking of having children.

"You mean you still haven't found the right woman. Feh! Not like I'd imagine anyone would want to marry a mangy wolf, wealthy wanna be adventurer or not," Inu Yasha sniped as he worked at grilling shrimp.

"Inu Yasha don't make me say it! Let me talk to Kouga for a moment alone please?" Kagome snapped. It had been many years since she'd had to use that spell on her husband but she would not have her party ruined by his bad tempered sniping.

"Sure," Inu Yasha snorted before wandering off to talk with Miroku about some business deal or another.

"Sometimes I think he's right," Kouga said with a slight frown.

"He doesn't understand. I never told him what you told me. But, Kouga, are you sure that you've not just missed the signal, whatever it was?"

Kouga looked at the miko, she still looked to be about twenty and having three children had not detracted from her beauty any in his opinion. He himself knew that he was just now looking to be in his twenties and would probably still look as young until many years later. "I'm sure I've not missed it Kagome. I've learned to hide the hurt; I've even dated a few women here and there. Never anything serious though. I don't want to get Hakku's hopes up."

Hakku was Ayame's son. He looked up to the head of the pack but often worried as well, so Kouga claimed about his well being. According to Hakku, the wolf lord should have had enough children to form a pack of their own by this point in his life.

"But still nothing's changed?" Kagome asked.

"No, but I have a feeling things might be about to."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'm not sure yet, I'll let you know as soon as I do."

By Kagome's later estimations it was that very evening she and Inu Yasha conceived Nakome. It wouldn't be until many years later that Kagome thought about the implications of the next nine months. During her pregnancy with Nakome it seemed that Kouga turned up more often in Tokyo, much to Inu Yasha's ire. "Just to make sure Kagome is okay." Kouga would assure Inu Yasha.

The night that Kagome went into labor was one when Inu Yasha was in Osaka working on one of the numerous projects his architecture firm was hired to build. Kagome had been making tea when the first contraction hit hard. She fumbled for the phone to call Sango when there was a knock on the door. Kagome staggered to the door and quickly pulled open only to blink in surprise. "Kouga?"

"Kagome? Wait how'd I get here?" The wolf prince asked in what sounded like sincere confusion. He'd set out that afternoon aimlessly walking with no real destination in mind on this particular day when some feeling told him to come into this building, seemingly pulling him to this one apartment.

"Kouga I don't have ti-ah! time for jokes. I need to get to the hospital…"

Understanding dawned in Kouga's eyes. "Come on Kagome. I don't have my car, but I don't need one to get you there quickly."

Kagome winced as another contraction hit then nodded reluctantly. Kouga gently scooped up Kagome and quickly walked from the apartment then immediately bolted toward the nearest of the hospitals that catered to Youkai, Hanyou and their families. Kagome held on as best she could as the seconds stretched into minutes. Soon enough Kouga burst through the doors of the hospital surprising a nearby nurse.

"What…" was all the nurse got out before Kouga began to speak.

"This woman is in labor! Get a gurney and a get her to the delivery room…NOW!" Kouga roared when the nurse didn't seem to be hurrying fast enough. Soon Kagome was on her way to the delivery room and Kouga was on his cell phone to Inu Yasha.

The labor was long, but not difficult. Inu Yasha joined the birthing process about four hours late but in time to see his last child born. A child that gave lusty wail as it came into the world; a child with luminous green eyes, her mother's black hair and the tell-tale markings of a hanyou: long pointy canine ears. Kagome and Inu Yasha agreed to name the child Nakome. The staff quickly cleaned the child off and put her into the nursery.

Much later, Inu Yasha found Kouga at the window of the nursery staring at Nakome. She was probably the most beautiful child Kouga had seen in his long life. For some reason he was sure he wanted to, needed to actually, be a part of this child's life.

"Oi wimpy wolf! Why were you visiting Kagome today? I wasn't aware you were even in Tokyo," Inu Yasha began.

"Inu Yasha, how I ended up at you and Kagome's apartment is a mystery to me. All I knew was that…" Kouga paused, his eyes going wide as he looked to the child in the nursery, the one whose eyes were now open and fixed on him with childhood innocence. _It couldn't be, could it?_ "All I knew was that something called me there."

"Ya expect me to believe that?"

"I don't care what you believe, muttface, you of all people should know that by now. All I know for certain, is that things are not ever going to be the same as they were."

Inu Yasha looked at Kouga as he'd spoken. _That sounded like hope in his voice. Heh maybe seeing a newborn will finally get the lead outta his ass and get him to go out and find a mate. The Gods know he could use one._ Inu Yasha thought as he went to check on his wife.


	2. Chapter 2

Once again I don't own Inu Yasha. Rumiko Takehashi does however. Nor do I own the rights to any incarnation of Negima!. I'm not making a single dime off this work so please don't sue me.

Author's Note:

A funny thing happened to me when I was about to publish chapter One of this work. I had it all set up to go and…I hesitated. I wasn't sure if the world or I for that matter was ready for it. So I consulted my literary peer and good friend StevetheSuperotaku. It is his encouragement as well as the kindness of my beloved that you got to read Chapter one of this story. So for Steve and Jenn, this one's for you.

To Those who Wait

Chapter two

By Lance the Flamesniper

It had been ten years since Nakome came into the world. To her parents Nakome Taishou was both a gift and a problem. The gift part was obvious: She rapidly became a bright spot in the lives of all who met her. She was intelligent and clever, a good student and healthy.

The problems came from multiple areas. The first was via a strange genetic anomaly: while Nakome was a quarter demon (or three quarter human depending on who you asked) she had traits more in line with a hanyou. This included the fact that she developed an elemental affinity for fire, something none of her siblings had ever developed. The other major problem (at least to Inu Yasha) was Nakome's fixation on Kouga. Kouga was her hero, inspiration and her benchmark for her progress in training. She also always knew when Kouga was nearby and vice versa. It didn't help that when the waxing crescent moon was rising Kouga was always among the Taishou family to defend Nakome when her human traits were more prevalent, something that was very unusual since normal quarter hanyou did not have "human nights". It wouldn't have been as much of problem for Inu Yasha if Nakome were to treat Kouga as an uncle like she did with Shippou or Sesshoumaru, but instead she spoke to and of Kouga as if they were somehow equal in standing and Kouga reciprocated the action.

Now at the age of ten it was time for Nakome to have her sword made- a tradition that Inu Yasha had both instilled and, while he still did so willingly, dreaded. The problem was that youkai swords were made from claws or fangs. For Inu Yasha this was a problem because as a hanyou he didn't have the massive fangs that his father or other youkai would possess and he was unwilling to ask Sesshoumaru to give him fangs. As a result the sword making process usually took a month of him getting his fangs pulled and then helping old Toutousai forge them into a blade while the purloined fangs grew back. While the lost fangs grew back every three days it was both really painful and very inconvenient.

Added to that was that Nakome was adamant that if she was going to have a sword, it was going to be special. While she did want a sword she didn't want one made from her father's fangs. She knew that having fangs pulled and grow back in over and over again had to hurt her father but that was only a small part of her argument against using his fangs. If she was to have a sword, she wanted it to be made from the fangs of Kouga. Her stubbornness on this stipulation was grating to point of troublesome to Inu Yasha. Mostly because it meant asking Kouga for two of his fangs; and while Inu Yasha, when the two were younger, would have had no problem just punching Kouga until he got the desired fangs, he was also aware that such an approach would most likely not garner any kind of appreciation in the eyes of his youngest daughter. On top of that his pride wouldn't allow it.

However the topic was such that it could not be ignored forever. Thus it was that one night when Inu Yasha thought his daughter was sound asleep he decided to speak with Kagome about it. What they didn't know is that Nakome had slipped from her bed and was eavesdropping.

"Why not just ask Kouga. If you tell him it's for Nakome I'm sure he'll understand," Kagome responded.

"There's no way in Hell I'm askin' that flea ridden wolf for anything. I don't understand Kagome, all of our other children know about what it takes to make a sword when you're a hanyou, but they all accepted their swords and wear them with pride, why does Nakome favor that damn wimpy wolf so much?"

Kagome was silent for a moment. There was no doubt in her mind that there was a bond between the youngest of Inu Yasha's children and the wolf-prince of the South. There was one particular answer she seriously considered: the fact that Kouga conveniently had arrived right when Nakome was born, the way Nakome looked up to Kouga, the wolf's seemingly inborn desire to keep Nakome safe. All of it pointed toward a secret Kouga told long ago, though she wasn't certain if it was true and was even more nervous about the possibility of telling Inu Yasha about it. "I'm not sure why she does dear. Souta looked up to you though at the time I didn't really understand why, so why not indulge her hero worship a little?"

"Somehow I don't think that's a good idea."

"Then what will you do?"

Inu Yasha thought for a moment then answered. "I'll tell Nekome that I asked Kouga and he told me no. He won't know she wanted them and she'll never know that I never asked. Plus it might just tone down her high opinion of him."

_I have sneaking suspicion that that idea isn't going to work…_ Kagome thought.

About a minute later Nekome wandered into the room rubbing one eye as if she'd just awoken. "Mama?" She asked tentatively.

"Nakome! What are you doing up?" Kagome asked.

"Bad dream…" Nakome lied.

"Oh, honey I'm sorry. Come with me I'll make you some warm milk and tuck you back in, okay?"

"Uh-huh…"

Once the milk had been drunk and Nakome was tucked back into bed Kagome sat on the edge of the bed a look of warmth and love adorning her face as she looked at her daughter. "So, what was your dream about?"

"I dreamt I wasn't going to get my sword from Kouga's fangs," Nakome said glumly. "And because of it something bad happened."

"I see. Having Kouga's fangs for your sword is important to you, isn't it?"

"It's what Gingetsu no Megami-sama says is best for me"

"Gingetsu no Megami-sama?"

"The pretty Lady with the silver hair that visits me," Nakome responded firmly.

Kagome momentarily hesitated as concern flowed through her body. After all her daughter had just told her she has visits with a woman she didn't know. "H-how long has she been visiting you?"

"I think I've seen her all my life mama. She's told me all sorts of things."

Kagome smiled now assuming that her daughter was talking about an imaginary friend, though in the back of her mind that worry remained. "What sort of things?"

"I'm supposed to save Kouga, mama," Nakome said seriously.

"Save him? From what?" Kagome asked as she wondered where this was coming from.

"From his greatest enemy, of course," the girl said as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "He can't see it, but his enemy is always around him. The one he can't beat. I have to save him, I'm the only one who can, mama," Nakome said as she drifted off to sleep.

Kagome left the room shaken. With one more glance toward her now sleeping daughter she made a note to talk to Kouga the next time she saw him. She didn't think Kouga was responsible for what her daughter just told her, but he might be able to tell her something that would shed some light on what she'd just heard.

* * *

Kouga looked over the barren patch of land that formed a perfectly round clearing in the middle of an otherwise dense forest. He hated this clearing. It was here that he and the others had their final battle with Naraku, a battle that Kouga felt wasn't over. Something told him that Naraku still existed within the clearing: the fact that nothing had grown there for five hundred years was but one piece of evidence that Kouga could point to. Still Inu Yasha and the others scoffed about it.

However, today he had brought his three "bodyguards" with him. They weren't really bodyguards, but special operatives. Kouga had discovered them when he learned about a group called Order Thirteen while investigating the theft of technology from one of the businesses that his company was hired to protect. The three were human, but they'd been augmented, or as he thought of it experimented on, giving them abilities that made it impossible for them to live normal lives. He hired the three and allowed them to use his resources to track Order Thirteen.

The wolf Lord's focus fixed on the leader of the threesome, Lawrence Jefferson Michalis, for the moment. It was, after all his abilities more than his brother Stephen's or Lawrence's fiancée Lynne's, that were of use here. Lawrence or "L.J." to those who were lucky enough to call him a friend was able to manipulate time which, among other things, allowed him to see the past and occasionally glimpse the future. It was but one of many gifts the experimentation had given him.

L.J. frowned. "Yes, there is something to this field, something dark and tainted. Something that pieces of has gotten out three times now."

Kouga nodded. The first two escapes had happened during the feudal era and early Meiji era. In one instance a samurai had camped the night in the clearing after being separated from his band then when he returned to them killed them all before being taken down by one of the group's only survivors. The second instance had been a member of the a band of mercenaries who had heard that a local lord (Kouga) had hidden a vast fortune within the clearing and had gone to retrieve it the rest of his band. No one knows exactly what happened to him within the clearing but several hours later the man walked into town alone, his clothes soaked with blood and attacked the first person to come near him. Again the mercenary was killed. It was the last instance that concerned Kouga, however.

The third instance had been a European doctor that Kouga had befriended. The man's name had been Jack Mackenzie though the world would later know him by another title. Jack had asked Kouga to allow him to visit the forest with a guide and investigate the native herbs that grew around there for healing properties. Kouga had reluctantly agreed. A week later his friend returned and after declaring he had found nothing, thanked Kouga and prepared to leave the country. Shortly after Dr. Mackenzie left for the nearest coastal town his guide was found dead. Kouga immediately set out to find his friend to ask about this discovery, at a the coastal town his friend was leaving from another person, this time a shrine maiden was found with her throat cut and her body mutilated. The last person she had been seen talking to was Jack. Kouga, then followed Jack to his home country of England. Before the situation was over, this time with Kouga killing his deranged friend, Jack Mackenzie, now known the world over as Jack the Ripper had killed five women in England and two people that he was never credited with in Japan.

"Any ties to the Order?" Kouga asked.

"Yes," L.J. said. "Do you know what Dr. Moreno called what he was doing to us?"

"No," Kouga said.

"He called it Human Augmentation and he was using notes from a person named Mackenzie."

"That's not possible! Mackenzie's notes are locked away in a place nobody can get them."

"Then I suggest you find 'nobody' and ask him how he dispersed the notes to Moreno. Because if Moreno got them, who knows who else did." Stephen responded.

"I'm sure he will," L.J. replied. "But for now we have a mission to plan and Kouga I believe has other appointments to attend to."

Kouga nodded. His only real appointment was to visit the Taishou family, but the others didn't need to know that. With that the three parted ways.

* * *

Kagome smiled as she watched Nakome jump to her feet and charge into the courtyard of their home. It was part of a long standing ritual in the Taishou household on behalf of the youngest daughter for this guest. As it happened Kagome had made it to the door just in time to watch her daughter turn the last two steps of her dash into a skip to the syllables "Kou-Ga!" before lunging toward the wandering wolf with her arms outstretched.

Kouga for his part always caught the flying quarter youkai and twirled her around gratefully accepting her vigorous hug. It always made Kagome smile to see Kouga's genuine delight around her youngest daughter. Though this instance also served to remind her that she needed to talk with Kouga about what Nakome had told her, which she would do… after she let her daughter have her moment with him.

"Kouga, let's go spar!"

"You're on 'Kome!"

Kagome's smile became one of dismayed amusement as the two traded kicks and punches with almost as much vigor as Inu Yasha and Kouga had gone at each other while both were trying to court her. The major difference however being that between Kouga and Nakome, theirs was more an air of playfulness to it. After an exchange that lasted roughly ten minutes the two collapsed back to back. This also Kagome knew was part of their ritual.

"Kouga?"

"Yes 'Kome?"

"You have an animal form don't you?"

"Yes I do, but I've never used it. Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering because my birthday is coming up and Father wants to make me a sword. But I want to make it using your fangs! So would you let me have two?"

Kagome blinked. _Okay, never in my boldest moment do I think I'd have the guts to have asked him that! Of course he'll say no…._

"'Kome I would be honored to let you have my fangs. All you had to do was ask."

_No way! She just asks and he caves like this isn't a bit deal!I definitely have to talk to him!_ Kagome thought incredulously. _Wait! Does this mean I get to see Kouga's animal form?_

Kouga got to his feet and closed his eyes allowing his youki to swirl around him. A moment later a pillar of wind surrounded Kouga. When the wind died down Kagome saw that Kouga had transformed into a twenty foot tall wolf.

_Good thing we have thirty foot walls…_Kagome thought as she watched Nakome remove the two fangs as gently as she could from Kouga's mouth. To Kouga's credit he didn't as much as flinch as the large fangs were pulled. In the time it took Kagome to blink, Kouga was back in his normal form albeit minus two fangs which were reduced to the size of normal teeth within a very cheerful quarter Hanyou's palm.

"Kouga! Can I speak with you?" Kagome asked.

"Sure thing Kagome," Kouga said as Nakome rushed off to finish her homework, her new treasure clenched tightly in her right hand.

Kagiome sat down with the wolf prince offering him some tea. To her surprise Kouga's fangs were already growing back in.

"I gotta admit Kouga, you just surprised me," she began.

"What my animal form? It's not that shouldn't be a surprise. I just don't use it because I prefer my human form."

"I was actually talking about giving Nakome your fangs. I was expecting you to refuse."

Kouga's brow furrowed at that. "Why?"

"I don't really know. I just thought that might be where you'd draw the line with how you and her interact."

"Kagome, Nakome could ask me, right now for my rank as Lord of the South and I'd most likely surrender it. There is nothing I have or that within my power that I wouldn't grant her."

The answer surprised Kagome but she still pressed on. "Why is that Kouga?"

Kouga gave Kagome his patented lady killer grin. "You tell me?"

The shrine maiden sighed as she looked down and poured herself some more tea. "I have my suspicions. But before I tell you what they are, have you ever heard of someone called Gingetsu no Megami-sama?" When Kouga didn't answer she glanced back up at him. The demon lord was staring at her with wide eyes, surprise clearly written across his features. "Kouga? What is it? Do you know that name? Who is she?"

"Where did you hear that name?" Kouga asked as he planted his palms on the table and leaned forward.

"Nakome. S-she said that that's the name of someone who visits her. Why? Who is she? How do you know her? Is she dangerous?"

Kouga eased back down into a sitting position his expression relaxing. "Of course I know Gingetsu no Megami-sama, all wolves do. She isn't dangerous at all."

"Then who is she, some kind of youkai that visits little children?"

"No, no!" Kouga laughed. "Gingetsu no Megami-sama is a kami. More precisely she is the patron Goddess of the wolves who resides in the silver moon."

_The goddess of wolves is visiting my daughter. Moreover, this goddess has told Nakome that she's supposed to 'save' Kouga from his greatest enemy and that only she can…_ Kagome's thoughts froze as a realization occurred to her. "Kouga, she's the one isn't she? The way you mysteriously arrived when she was born, her connection to you…."

Kouga sighed then nodded. "I think she is. I'll know for sure in about eight years."

"This is going to take some getting used to…." Kagome said know full well that she couldn't tell her husband about this without Inu Yasha trying to turn Kouga into a wolf hide rug.

* * *

Inu Yasha arrived just in time to sit down to dinner. As such he didn't get a chance to be warned by Kagome about what had happened earlier in the afternoon and all attempts to call him had resulted in being informed that his cell phone was either out of reception or off. So it was that Kagome felt dinner was going to be interesting.

"Nakome," Inu Yasha began as dinner was about to end.

"Yes father?" Inu Yasha's youngest asked her luminous green eyes meeting his yellow ones.

"I spoke with Kouga today," Inu Yasha began as Kagome behind Nakome began making motion at her throat: the signal for him to stop, which the hanyou promptly ignored. "I asked him about getting a set of his fangs for you and well he told he…"

"Oh I know father. I understand," Nakome said happily. "After all even if they do grow back quickly he wouldn't want to part with another pair so soon."

"Well I'm glad you… wait. _Another pair! _Whatd'ya mean about that Nakome?"

"Well since he gave me these two this afternoon for my sword, it would only make sense that he wouldn't give you two more right?" Nakome responded dropping the two fangs in her father's hand before skipping out of the room."

"W-what the hell are these?"

"Those, Inu Yasha, are a pair of ookami youkai fang pulled just this afternoon from the jaws of Kouga when he visited this afternoon. So tomorrow you can take them to Toutousai and have Nakome's sword made! Isn't that wonderful?" Kagome answered with a grin. _And next time you might want to listen when I try to warn you!_

Inu Yasha's jaw worked up and down a few times without making a sound then began. "But how…?"

"Does it matter? It's for our daughter and you should be grateful. After all, this way you don't have to spend a month having your fangs pulled. Right?"

"I suppose that's true. What did the mangy wolf want in return for these though?"

"No a thing. He was pleased to give them to her."

"I don't believe _that_ for a second. He'll probably just cash this in as some kind of favor later."

Kagome sighed at her husband's comment as one thought crossed her mind. _Yeah, the favor is likely to be cashed in about eight years from now…"_

TBC

Author's note:

Whew! Okay this has to be one of the longest chapters for any story that I've ever wrote. However, there was a lot of backstory that I needed to put into this chapter. Hopefully you all enjoyed it. In upcoming chapters there will likely be more action.


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